


The Circus of Dreams

by 4nimikii



Category: The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern, 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Alternate Universe - Circus, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - No Quirks (My Hero Academia), Night Circus - Freeform, Though the magic is similar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-06
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-18 19:40:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14859027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/4nimikii/pseuds/4nimikii
Summary: Welcome to the Circus of Dreams





	The Circus of Dreams

**Author's Note:**

> Has anyone read the Night Circus? I’ve had the book for years but only read it recently and could not stop thinking about tododeku the entire time. 
> 
> This is incredibly similar to its original just because of how similar the original characters were to Shouto and Izuku.
> 
> This is hopefully the first part of many. Please enjoy!

A package arrives for the Magician Endeavour. The theatre manager collects him immediately upon it’s arrival, bumbling over his words as he asks the Magician to come to him office to retrieve it.  
“What sort of package?” Endeavour asks, brow raised.  
“I think you should see for yourself.” The manager says, opening the office door for the Magician. He leaves quickly afterwards, not wanting to intrude on whatever was to happen next.  
The Magician scans the room for his package, expecting a large gift box like the one’s he sometimes receives from avid fans. Instead his eyes fall on a young boy with bicolored hair. It’s only then that the Magician realizes what the manager had been saying.  
“Shit.” Endeavour says.  
The boy looks up at him, scanning his features for a moment before pulling an envelope out of his coat. He hands it to the Magician who snatches it from his hands and quickly tears it open. The boy goes back to staring at the various trinkets in the office, not interested in the man who is supposedly his own father.  
Endeavour scans the letter quickly. It’s addressed to him from a woman he vaguely recalls having a fling with several years prior. The letter drips with loathing and states in scattered sentences that she has killed herself and is leaving their child with him.  
“So you’re name is Shouto.” The Magician states, looking down at his son, unfazed by the letter.  
Shouto glances up at him once more, but says nothing. Endeavour grunts.  
“She did that to your face too, did she? Looked too much like me I suppose.” The Magician reaches out and takes Shouto’s face in his hand, twisting his head so he can see the red scar around his eye. Shouto twists out of his grip, frowning at the paper weight on the managers desk.  
“She was always a bit hysterical. Shame she had to take you down with her. Selfish woman.” Endeavour says, raising his hand and lighting the letter aflame with his renowned fire magic. “Well, forget about that. No use crying over spilled milk.”  
Shouto’s eyes widen at the flames, watching the last words of his beloved mother turn to ash. His fists clench, hatred coursing through him. It’s only been five minutes and he already understands why his mother hated this man as much as she did.  
The room drops several degrees, Endeavour’s head snaps up in confusion. The glass window on the office door covers with frost, quickly locking them in an ice box. It’s not until the glass snaps, spider web cracks growing between the frost that Shouto stops. His eyes follow the sound, immediately guilty. He releases his clenched fists and lowers his head, hair covering his eyes.  
Endeavour stares down at his son, fire crackling back to life in his hand, quickly returning the room to it’s normal temperature.  
“Not bad. You might come in handy after all.” Endeavour says, finally interested. 

Several months later, Endeavour sends an invitation to an old acquaintance, asking if he were up for a game. 

———

It’s been a while since the man has seen his long time acquaintance. He disapproves of the way the Magician flaunts his power after all. However he does not pass on the opportunity to meet him backstage of one of his shows.  
The skinny man walks without even the echo of a sound and slips past security without even catching their eyes. His hollowed features and stringy blond hair would normally catch quite a few glances, but he learned long ago how not to be seen when he wants.  
The man knocks on the back stage door with large letters exclaiming that this was where the Magician Endeavour was.  
“Come in!” The deep voice of the Magician calls. The man steps inside without even a creak of the door and closes it behind him just as quietly. “Ah, finally! All Might!”  
“Endeavour.” All Might nods. “What is it you’ve called me here for?”  
“There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” He says, getting right to the point. “Shouto, come here!”  
All Might turns is head to where a changing curtain separates the room. A young boy, no older than seven walks out, eyes on the floor. “Yes, father?”  
All Might raises an eyebrow. He’s aware of the Magicians philandering, but rarely does he meet they byproduct of his more active social life.  
“This is an acquaintance of mine.” Endeavour introduces him. The young boy looks up at All Might, surprisingly unshaken by his appearance. All Might assumes this to be because the boy himself has what most would call odd features. “I want you to show him what you can do.”  
The boy’s face scrunches into a frown that All Might finds endearing, but does not show.  
“You told me not to show anyone.” Shouto reminds his father.  
“This man is not just anyone. Go on. I’m allowing it.” Endeavour urges his son.  
Shouto looks over at All Might once more before nodding softly and walking over to the mirrors his father uses to apply make up before shows. He reaches his small hand out, placing it on the glass. Immediately, frost swirls from a his fingers and dances across the surface. It covers the mirrors, the light bulbs and the frames, spiking outwards in sharp icicles and covering the lights until you can only see a flicker of life inside. All Might watches in awe and the ice continues its trek up and surrounding the mirror, covering the walls in jagged spikes. The whole thing is beautiful, despite the cold now taking over the room, but the display comes to an abrupt stop when the light bulbs burst. Shouto jumps, watching as the frost covered glass falls to the counter and the dying coils are revealed.  
Slowly, the ice retreats. Jagged edges soften and roll back down, melting and swirling back towards the young boys hand. Once all the ice has returned Shouto removes his hand, lacing his fingers together in front of him and lowering his head.  
“That was quite something.” All Might says after a moment. He steps over to the young boy, kneeling down in front of him. “You have a lot of power in you, though you lack control.”  
Shouto looks up at him through his lashes, embarrassed. All Might’s expression softens now, he looks up at the light bulbs. Shouto follows his gaze, watching the shattered glass raise from the counter and fall back into place. The lights flicker back to their original strength and Shouto’s eyes widen in wonder.  
“So?” Endeavour cuts in. “What do you think, shall we play?”  
“He has potential.” All Might says, looking at Shouto as he speaks. “I will need time to find my own player.”  
“Take all the time you need! You won’t be winning this time, regardless.”  
“You’re awfully confident,” All Might looks over his shoulder. “For having lost the last two rounds.”  
Endeavour huffs, Shouto watches the two men talk with a frown. All Might turns back to him with a smile. He pulls something from his pocket and reaches out to the boy.  
“May I see your hand for a moment, young Shouto?” Shouto raises his right hand, letting All Might take it with his long, bony fingers. The man is gentle as he slips a large ring onto the boys finger. Shouto stares at it, it’s much too big, but as he watches an inscription he doesn’t recognize glows and the ring begins to shrink.  
He blinks at it, trying to pull his hand away but All might holds him steady with surprising strength.  
The ring continues to shrink even after it’s fitted to Shouto’s hand. It squeezes into his skin and starts to burn. Shouto gasps, eyes prickling with tears, but he refuses to cry. It burns into his flesh, but it’s not nearly the worst burn Shouto has received in his short life.  
When the ring disappears, it leaves a round scar on the young boys finger. All Might finally releases his hand, and Shouto raises it to his eye level, inspecting the new scar. All Might stands, turning to Endeavour. Endeavour hands him a ring of his own and All Might Pockets it without a word.  
He heads to the door, turning briefly to look back at Shouto. The boy looks up at him, no fear or resentment in his eyes, only curiosity. All Might smiles sadly at him.  
“I will let you know when I’ve found my player.” He states, nodding to Endeavour. “Until then.” 

 

———

 

All Might finds his player a year later, tucked away in a tiny orphanage across the sea. He’s immediately doubtful when he see’s the child fidgeting in his seat. All Might looks down at him, and the boy’s bright green eyes stare back at him curiously.  
“How long have you been here?” All Might asks.  
“Always.” The boy responds. He meets All Might’s sunken eyes without fear like the other children had. Just curiosity.  
“How old at you?”  
“Eight.”  
“Can you read?”  
The boy nods, his dark curls bobbing along. He’s stopped fidgeting completely as he answers.  
“Yes. I love books. There are only a few here, but I’ve read all of them twice. I started writing things now, instead.”  
“Good.” All Might smiles lightly. Without warning, he pulls an item from his coat pocket and tosses it at the boy. The boy blinks, but reaches up to catch it with both hands. “I’ll give you that then.” All might says. The boy looks down at the note book in his hands, eyes sparkling.  
“You’ll need it, you’ll be studying a lot with me.”  
The boy looks up at All Might. “You’re taking me?” All Might nods.  
“Go get you’re things, I’ll finish up your papers.” All Might turns to walk into the office next door.  
“Wait!” The boy calls. All Might turns. “You didn’t ask my name.”  
“Names aren’t important, if you wish you can discard yours altogether. It won’t be necessary in your studies.”  
“It is important!” The boy frowns. “It’s my name, I think it’s important.”  
“Very well…” All Might concedes to the boys determined eyes. “What is your name?”  
“Izuku. My name is Izuku.” 

Izuku spends the next few years between the pages of book after book. All Might’s library is vast, with books that look almost ancient and with no limit on their range. He learns histories and mythology’s, languages and symbols he can’t fully understand. All Might visits him daily, teaching him things he’s sure he would have never come to know if he had stayed at the orphanage, or even if he had gone with another family. All Might shows him things he can only describe as magic, but hasn’t spoken that word since seeing All Might’s disapproving eyes.  
All Might brings him more and more books, guiding him on what to focus on and what to learn next. Izuku reads, and writes and breathes in this new knowledge like air. Though, much to All Might’s disproval, he never out grows his unfortunate habit of muttering while he studies. Instead, his constant stream of mutters becomes increasingly harder to understand as he learns more and more languages.  
Izuku is aware that All Might is grooming him for something, though only once has he asked about it. About when All Might will teach him to put what he’s learned to practical use.  
“When you are ready.” All Might had said. Izuku can’t wait until he’s ready. He reads, and reads, and writes until his fingers are black with ink and he consumes every word, until the day he will finally be deemed ready. 

 

———

 

Learning Magic under his father is a lot more brutal than anyone would expect. It’s ‘hands on learning’ Endeavour says, as he slices his son’s fingertips open. Whether it was meant as a joke or not, Shouto is never amused by his fathers antics.  
Shouto learns to heal his body, sewing his own skin back together, reversing the flow of blood, repairing tears and stains in his clothes. His father cuts him open like a fish then tells him to fix it himself. Even when Shouto had passed out from blood loss that once, his father did not help him.  
The only time Endeavour ever offers to heal him was when he wants to get rid of ‘that horrible blemish’. He claims it makes him look unappealing, and off putting. That he should use the good genes he was born with to woo the crowd when it’s his time on stage, but Shouto refuses him every time. His scar is the last thing he has of his mother, and he will not part with it for the world. The scar on his finger, however, he learns to mask with illusions. He does not know what sort of game his father has sold him to, but he is not too keen on playing.  
His father eventually becomes bored with teaching Shouto, lessons becoming fewer and fewer. Not that Shouto minds. He practices on his own while his father parades around doing god knows what. He purposefully breaks his fathers things, shattering cups and tearing his costumes, mending them back perfectly before the man returns.  
Inanimate objects are easy, they fit together like a puzzle. Living things are more difficult.  
Shouto often plays with his father’s doves while they are waiting to perform. Once while they are playing, Shouto accidentally brakes the creatures small wing with his magic. Fear sinks into him as the young boy spends hours with the dove in his hands, trying to put the bone back in place.  
Endeavour found him that time, eyes welling with tears and hands shaking. He begged his father to fix the dove. Endeavour took the bird from him, inspected the injury, then snapped the creatures neck. Shouto had cried, cradling the dead bird.  
“Just get another. It wasn’t worth the effort.” Endeavour had said, before roughly pulling Shouto to his feet and telling him to stop crying. He hit him, telling him if he wanted to learn to mend bones, he should practice more. Endeavour snapped his son’s arm like it was nothing, and left the boy on the floor of his dressing room for the rest of the night.  
Shouto never asked his father for anything again, and when he was old enough to take care of him self, stopped going with him to shows. 

 

———

 

Trips outside All Mights home were rare, and Izuku loved each one of them. Usually it was somewhere quiet and educational. Museums mostly. Sometimes historic places where Izuku finds symbols he’s read about carved into stone and can feel energies coursing through them.  
This trip, is even more unorthodox. All Might takes him to France and gives him two tickets for a theatre across from their hotel. Izuku is dressed in his finest suit, looking just as shiny and stylish as everyone else, but still manages to stand out. His unruly hair, bright eyes and notebook catching looks from all the theatre goers he passes.  
He sit’s excitedly in his seat, wondering what sort of show All Might wanted him to see. He’s surprised, when it turns out to be a Magician that takes the stage.  
Nonetheless, Izuku dutifully opens his notebook and scribbles down everything that happens. He frowns, muttering to himself and the man onstage uses pulleys and trap doors to create his illusions. Izuku see’s through all of them easily, quickly seeing that this man was nothing but ordinary and could not do any of the things All Might can.  
When the show ends, he rushes back to All Might, a stream of questions on his lips. All Might raises his hand, telling him he will not answer questions until the next night, after the second show. Izuku reluctantly backs down, muttering to himself as he writes in his notes, trying to figure out what All Might was trying to teach him.  
The next night, Izuku arrives at the theatre in a different shiny suit, eyes significantly less bright, and his notebook in hand. He wonders what sort of fake will come onstage this time.  
The theatre is significantly more crowded than the previous night, and the crowd barely pays him any attention, much to excited for the act. Whoever the Magician Endeavour was, he must be popular.  
The show starts with a bang and Izuku perks up. A Large man with a flaming moustache graces the stage and Izuku can feel the difference between him and the other man instantly. This man was real. The illusions he did involved no trap doors or devices. He made things vanish in thin air and started fires without burning anything. Izuku even recognized one of his illusions from a book he had read the year before.  
By the end of the show, Izuku’s hand was cramped and his excitement maxed. He ran to All Might, excited to get answers.  
All Might greeted Izuku’s stream of chatter by taking out a single ring with his gloves hand and placing it on the table. Izuku cut himself off, looking down at the gold band.  
“What is this?”  
“Put it on.” All Might says and Izuku obeys, slipping it onto his right hand. The inscription on the ring glows and the band starts to restrict onto his finger. Izuku stares in wonder, feeling something similar to the feeling the Magician Endeavour gave off.  
He cries out when the ring starts to burn, attempting to pull it off but the ring doesn’t budge. Izuku closes his eyes and grits his teeth until the pain subsides. When it does, all that remains of the ring is a thick scar and a barely legible inscription.  
“The man you went to see tonight is an acquaintance of mine. That ring is his.”  
“What was that?” Izuku asks softly, cradling his hand, tears quietly dropping from his eyes.  
“A binding.”  
“… to what?”  
“An obligation you’ve had since the moment I took you in. I’ve just made things official.”  
“This is why you’ve been teaching me? So I can be bound to Endeavour?”  
“Not to him, but to to one who wears a matching ring. When the time comes, you will be set on a stage and you will play a game. Until then, all you need to do is keep studying.”  
Izuku frowns, lips pinched, but he does not question All Might any farther. 

 

——— 

 

Shouto learns a lot more cooped up in his fathers study than he ever did on the road with him. While practical knowledge is good, there’s just something about having the words laid out in a logical format that makes everything fit together. Spells and illusions Shouto learned by force were brought under a new light and even the strangest of things began to make sense.  
His ring, for one. A binding, his father had called it, but never really explained it’s purpose. In the book Shouto has in his lap currently, bindings are described as a promise or a seal to a duty or a person. Rings specifically, bind you to a person who you share a destiny with. Some Magicians have bound themselves to their lovers, so that if anything were to happen to them while they are apart, the other would know.  
Shouto finds this incredibly romantic. While his parents weren’t this sort of couple, the hope that Shouto has someone he’s destined to lights a small hope in his heart.  
He wonders what the person who wears his matching ring is like. He wonders if they are going through the same training as him. He hopes not. He hopes they are living well, and that they wonder about him as well.  
He wonders if they cried when they were bound to him. Shouto was only six and he didn’t shed a tear. That was over twelve years ago now. Shouto has never felt anything from his binding to indicate when his destined one became bound, but he hopes they did not hurt too much.  
He can’t wait to meet them. It lights a new desire to learn in him. He keeps his nose tucked in his fathers books until the man returns home weeks later, announcing that he’s taking time off from the theatres to come up with an even grander show. It seems he’s completely forgotten about teaching Shouto, but Shouto doesn’t need him anymore anyway. He has his destined one to look forward to. 

 

———

 

When Izuku turned Nineteen, All Might gave him his own apartment. Izuku packed his meagre possessions and all the books he wanted from All Might’s library and began to live on his own without his mentor. To fill the void left by All Might, Izuku took walks daily. He never left All Mights home when he studied under him, so the freedom to choose when he came and went was exhilarating. Though he was still too nervous in large crowds, he spent his trips in small cafes and parks, watching the world around him and reading books he finds in stores.  
Izuku is on his way home from one of these trips when he realizes he’s not holding his notebook, despite having it only a moment ago. He stops, almost bumping into the woman walking behind him as he turns to retrace his steps. Eyes searching wildly, and hands seeking that familiar feeling of his books connection.  
When he finally catches sight of the leather bounds book, his relief is short lived. He stops about a metre away from a young woman with short brown hair and warm brown eyes. Her eyes currently glued to the pages of Izuku’s note book and she tries to decipher his messy scribbles.  
It takes him a moment, but Izuku musters up the courage to get closer, clearing his throat.  
“U-uhm. I think that’s mine.” He stammers. The girl looks up at him, startled and nearly drops the book. She catches it and gives Izuku a shaky smile.  
“Sorry! I found it on the ground and I know I shouldn’t have been snooping, but this page just caught my eye and I couldn’t help it…” She says, holding up the page of the notebook Izuku had glued a tarot card to. Izuku’s eyes light up.  
“Do you do tarot?” He asks with interest. The girl nods, but blushes.  
“A little. I’m still a beginner, but I do carry a deck with me.”  
“You have it on you now?” Izuku perks up even farther. He rarely get’s to talk about these things with anyone. Even All Might picks and chooses what he teaches so much that Izuku is often left wanting more.  
“I- I do…” The girl seems shy. “A-anyway, here’s your book. Sorry about snooping.” She shoves the book into Izuku’s hands.  
“It’s okay. Than you for picking it up.” Izuku inspects it quickly for dirt or tears and finds it perfectly intact. He smiles, looking up at the girl. “Um, I-if you don’t mind… Do you want to get some coffee w-with me? I would really like to hear more about tarot from you...”  
“F-from me?!” The girl exclaims. “But you seem to already know so much, from the looks of your notes… I don’t know what I could offer…”  
“That’s not true! Please, It would be really valuable to me if I could hear someone else’s perspective!” Izuku begs, then catches himself. “I mean, that’s only if you aren’t busy. I don’t want to intrude…”  
The girl scratches her neck, thinking for a moment before smiling. “No, it’s okay. I’m free. I’d love to have coffee with you.”  
Izuku smiles wide, excitement coming off in waves. The girl laughs.  
“I’m Ochako by the way,” She holds her hand out. “What’s your name?”  
“Izuku!” Izuku shakes her hand happily.  
“Nice to meet you Izuku. I’m new around here though, so I don’t know any nearby cafes.”  
Izuku beams. It’s not often he hears his name spoken, and is usually only by All Might.  
“That’s no problem! I know a great spot!” 

Izuku takes her to his favourite café and the two of them talk for hours about tarot and charms and talismans. Though Ochako’s knowledge is limited, Izuku finds it quite enjoyable to be able to talk to someone about these things and ends up teaching her quite a bit.  
The two of them agree to meet again the next day, and several days after that and they meet more days of the week than not for the next couple months. Izuku takes her to his apartment and shows her his other notes and books and she is amazed and awed. Izuku finds he loves her expression when he shows her illusions and simple tricks. He teaches her some simpler illusions, though she can’t manage to pick them up as fast as Izuku did. Ochako takes a liking to a levitation charm, and practices while she sit’s in Izuku’s room, listening to his stream of muttering as he studies. It’s the most content either of them have ever been and Ochako thanks whatever deity brought them together from the bottom of her heart. 

 

———

 

It’s several months after meeting Ochako that All Might finally visits. The knock on the door is abrupt and surprises the both of them. No one ever knocks on Izuku’s door, not now that he’s given Ochako her own key.  
“Who is it?” Ochako inquires softy, frowning at the door. Izuku stands quickly, putting down his pens and stepping over his books.  
“Go into the study.” Izuku demands, Ochako does as she’s told, quickly closing the door and pressing her ear against it in hope of recognizing the voice. She hears Izuku answer, but cannot hear a reply. She almost thinks it’s a prank, but Izuku speaks again, and she can tell he’s having a conversation with the mystery person. 

“You are to apply for a position with this man.” All Might says when Izuku answers the door. He holds out a business card which Izuku takes. It reads Sir Nighteye in golden letters. “I have been doing business with him as of late and it’s time you joined the preparations.”  
“Preparations? For the game?”  
All Might nods. “We are setting the stage. It is almost time. I hope you aren’t too distracted to continue your studies.” All might says, glancing at the door to Izuku’s study.  
“I’m not. I’ll get the job.” Izuku says with determination. All Might nods.  
“You have an interview tomorrow. The time is on the card. Don’t be late, and make sure you get the position.”  
“I will.” Izuku says, then All Might turns and leaves.  
Izuku closes the door, looking back at the card. He hears Ochako exit the study distantly, but he’s far to excited to listen to what she’s saying.  
It’s almost time. The stage is almost ready. 

The job, it turns out, is to be the personal assistant to a man called Sir. He’s an entrepreneur of sorts and known world wide as a master of reading trends. He’s always the leading eye for new things whether its fashion, theatre, design, or travel. It’s as if he can see the future before it happens and is always prepared.  
Working under Sir is both incredibly intimidating and very enlightening. He has strict systems that Izuku quickly learns and lives in a maze of a mansion with rooms all dedicated to one specific thing. Each with their own independent filing system and each corresponding to a possible slight change in trends.  
Sir is spear heading a new project, so while he’s working on creating a new extravagant experience, Izuku is busy both keeping up and tying up the lose ends in his other projects. It’s a taxing job but Izuku loves it. He spends more time in Sir’s home than his own, though that’s mainly due to the fact that he can ever find the exit without setting some sort of charm. By the time Izuku is settled in, Sir’s home has as many charms on it as it does filing systems.  
Izuku even manages to meet All Might more often now, as he is one of the head conspirators on Sir’s new project. 

“A circus?” Izuku inquired during the first meeting he attended. Sir nods, not even glancing up from the blueprints they are working on.  
“A Circus unlike any other. An extravaganza no one has ever even imagined. Something so wondrous and spectacular it will change peoples lives and liven their worlds. It will be a new world within itself.”  
“It’s going to be like something straight out of a dream.” Recovery Girl says. Sir looks up at the older woman.  
“Yes exactly! The Circus of Dreams! That’s perfect. Izuku, write that down.”  
“Yes, Sir.” 

 

———

 

Endeavour has been working on his new act, locked away on his study for several weeks now, so when an unmarked letter containing only the words “Your Move” is sent to the house, Shouto is the one to receive it. He frowns at the words, though he can feel they hold a lot of meaning, he cannot discern it. He let’s himself into his father’s study, unlocking his charms with much more easy than he used to, and hold up the card for him to read. Endeavour, translucent and almost entirely invisible to an untrained eye, grins widely at the card. Like a ghost he swoops down and snatches the card. It merely falls through his hands, but he forgets about it quickly.  
“The stage is set!” He exclaims. “It’s time to play the game!”  
Shouto’s heart thrums with excitement. His destined one sent this card. They were ready to meet him, they were ready to finally get this game over with. 

Shouto is still thrumming as he sits in the audition hall. There are several other Magicians gathered, some Shouto recognizes from his time travelling around theatres with his father. Shouto gets a lot of side glances, but he always gets glances. He’s stopped caring. He wears his scar with pride. Shouto doesn’t fidget, gloves fingers laced and posture relaxed. He’s been through worse tests than an audition and he knows he can do better than any of these other so called Magicians. He could since he was five.  
So when Shouto’s number is called, he walks into the next room calmly, without any trunks or bags. He walks onto the stage and looks out to see only two people in the crowd. One he recognizes as Sir Nighteye, the man who called this audition, and the other a very old woman. She smiles and him as they meet eyes and Shouto bows to the two of them.  
“Can you state your name?” Sir’s assistant asks from the foot of the stage, his face tucked in a notebook.  
“Shouto Todoroki.”  
“You’re awfully young, how long have you been doing magic? Where have you performed before?” Sir asks from the crowd.  
“I have never performed a show before,” Shouto admits. “But I have been training under my father since I was six years old.”  
“Does your father do shows?”  
“He did, yes. He’s retired, but his stage name was Endeavour.” Shouto says calmly, ignoring the translucent figure seating itself in the audience.  
Both Sir and his assistant perk up at that name. “Endeavour?! I didn’t know he had a son!”  
“He never made it public. He had wanted to have me perform with him one day, but unfortunately an accident befell him and now he’s unable to perform.”  
“That’s unfortunate.” Sir says, “But if you can do anything like he can, I would very much like to see it.”  
“As you wish.” Shouto bows again, noticing that Sir’s assistant has yet to stop staring at him.  
Shouto raises both his hands, first lighting a small flame above his gloved right palm and spinning a snow ball into life in his left. He throws them both out into the crowd, they raise high above Sir and explode into fireworks and falling snow. As Sir and his companion are watching the snow, Shouto continues by twirling his jacket off and tossing it in the air. The fabric twists into the form of a large bird and when Sir’s attention focuses back on him, Shouto lights the bird aflame, sending a soaring Phoenix around the room. The bird screeches, sparks flying with every flap of its wings.  
Next Shouto creates a spear of ice, raising it above his head and throwing it directly at the bird. It hits the mark and the bird goes down, flames dying and body freezing. Just before it can hit the audience, causing the older woman to cry out in surprise, the ice bird flaps its wings and flies back up and over to Shouto. It hovers just above the Magician, bursting into snowflakes and raining down on Shouto as his jacket falls back into place over his shoulders. When the snow fades Shouto takes another bow, smiling up at the faces of his awed audience. 

Sir stands from his seat, applauding. “That was marvellous! Absolutely wondrous!” He says, walking out down the isle towards Shouto. “Izuku, cancel the rest of the audition, Shouto is perfect!”  
“Thank you.” Shouto smiles at Sir before glancing down at his assistant, Izuku, who hasn’t moved. Izuku stares at him, his pen hovering above the page of his note book but nothing farther than Shouto’s name has been written. Shouto tilts his head in questioning and Izuku’s cheeks heat up.  
“Izuku!” Sir snaps, making the boy jump. “I said cancel the rest of the audition. I know his performance was a spectacle but come to you senses already.”  
“S-s-sorry! Right away Sir!” Izuku stammers, looking at his boss apologetically. He glances back up at Shouto to see the Magician smiling at him and Izuku nearly trips over his own feet on his way out to tell the rest of the Magicians to go home. 

He’s finally found his opponent. There was no doubt about it. Shouto was the one he’s supposed to be competing against in this game of Magicians. 

 

———

 

Opening night was both nerve wracking and incredibly satisfying. All the work that’s gone into the Circus of Dreams, finally coming together. Sir is walking around the twisting circle paths, watching the excited faces of the guests as Izuku trails along behind him.  
“It’s a great success.” Izuku smiles at his boss.  
“We won’t know that until the end of the night, Izuku, but so far so good. We still have the lighting ceremony to see too.”  
“Of course, Sir.” Izuku responds.  
The lighting ceremony is the thing Izuku is most looking forward to. The Circus of Dreams is a travelling circus and since Izuku has duties with Sir, he cannot follow the circus the way Shouto can. He needs to come up with another way to stay connected to the Circus. Luckily he’s come up with a way to bind himself to the circus and also participate.  
“Sir! Sir!” One of the performers comes running up to the two of them.  
“Eijirou! What’s wrong?” Sir asks their strong man.  
“It’s Mrs. Tamaki! She’s gone into labour!”  
“Shit! I thought she wasn’t due for another week!”  
“So did she, but her water broke an hour ago! We called an ambulance already but we don’t want to disturb the guests so we asked them to come around back. They’re going to deliver the baby’s in her tent.”  
“I see, good thinking. Keep me updated!”  
“Yes, Sir!” Eijirou nods before running off to inform the other Circus performers.  
“Damn. Then that means the animal tamer tent is going to be closed on opening night.”  
“It’s just tonight, I don’t think the guests will even notice with all the other things to do.” Izuku assures him.  
“Yes, I suppose you’re right.”  
“Shall we head to the bonfire? The lighting ceremony is about to begin.”  
“Right, yes. Let us go.” 

The lighting ceremony is in the centre courtyard where a large caldron sits empty, waiting to be lit at exactly midnight. From this courtyard you are able to hear the grand clock at the gates, so at the exact count of midnight twelve archers appear around the courtyard and fire a flaming arrow into the cauldron at each chime.  
It’s a wonder to witness, but Izuku is much more interested in the book he planted in the Cauldron earlier. He has a separate, identical one in his apartment, tucked away safely. At the stroke of midnight the archers set his book aflame and the binding charm is cast. The whole circus feels it. Everyone who’s names are written. Each performer and creator is bound to the circus with their very soul.  
Shouto can feel the magic hit him, taking his breath away. He knows immediately it’s his destined one. His heart races, wondering what they did, where they were. They had to be in the circus with him, this was their stage after all. He would find them. As long as it took, as long as the Circus was up and running, he would seek out his destined one. But for now, he has to get ready for his next show. His audience already filing into his tent.  
For now, they would take care of the circus and the people inside. For now, the circus was their world. 

Opening night was a spectacle like no other.  
A bond was formed.  
Twins were born.  
A game began. 

The Circus of Dreams was made.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like this please talk to me about it!
> 
> I’m hopefully going to post several small chapters in this au involving the other circus members and the tents but I don’t have a lot of ideas so if anyone who has read this book or anyone who hasn’t wants to throw ideas at me please do!!


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